Ethics Commission imposes $30K fine on former Rep. Jeremy Durham

The Tennessee Ethics Commission Tuesday voted to impose a $30,000 fine on former state Rep. Jeremy Durham, who already faces $465,000 in penalties imposed by the Registry of Election Finance, reports the Tennessean.

The registry fines were for violation of campaign finance laws. The Ethics Commission penalty is for Durham’s failure to include all sources of income in his conflict-of-interest disclosure filed while he was a legislator.

“This appears to be one of the more egregious things since I’ve been on this commission,” said board member James Stranch.

… Durham did not disclose a $25,000 check he wrote from his campaign account to his wife for a loan. He also failed to report another loan to Life Watch Pharmacy — a company owned by Andrew Miller, a prominent Republican donor who has advocated for anti-Muslim policies in the state. Additionally, he failed to report an investment in a rental property he owned in Williamson County — as first reported by The Tennessean last year.

Property records indicate Durham and his wife bought land and took out more than $800,000 in loans to build three homes between 2013 and 2014 as part of investments.